Apparatus for surface treating ampuls



July 22, 1958 w. E. HUGHESQJR I 2,843,958

APPARATUS FOR SURFACE TREATING AMPULS Filed June 8, 1956 15 n i n 6 n n n n m A fl INVENTOR WEI-IUGHESJR:

WM '4 ATTORN 25 United States Patent r 2,843,958 APPARATUS FoR SURFACE TREATING AMPULS William E. Hughes, In, Vinelaud, N. J., assignor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application June 8 1956, Serial No. 590,203 Claims. (Cl. 41-9) .The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for surface treating the interior of glass ampuls and more particularly is a device which functions to increase or lengthen time interval during which an acidic gas may be introduced into newly formed ampuls during their continuous travel from a forming machine to an annealing lehr.

It is common practice to introduce an acidic gas, sulphur dioxide for example, into the open ends of glass ampuls just prior to placing them in an annealing lehr to the end that the objectionable effects of alkali at the surfaceof the glass may be neutralized. Subsequent heating of the ampul completes the neutralizing operation.

In a commercial operation, these ampuls are produced at a rather high rate of speed and therefore must be moved continuously from the forming machine to the lehr without any interruption whatsoever in their advancingmovement. This, of course, necessitates introduction of a sufficient quantity of acidic gas or other suitable chemical through the relatively small open stem end of rapidly moving ampuls to produce the desired results. In some instances the device for introducing the chemical is mounted so that -it may travel in register withtheopen ends of the ampuls for a short distance and thereby prolong the period of treatment. Such mechani'sms' operate satisfactorily but involve a relatively large number of parts and necessitate the introduction of suitable timing devices toinsure the explained prolonged period of registration of the device with the ampul stem openings.

An object of the present invention is to provide simple, effective and relatively inexpensive means for manipu- 'lating the stem end portions of ampuls in a predetermined zone of their travel to the annealing lehr whereby such open ends are held for a period of time in register with a stationary gas injecting device positioned at one side of the path of travel of the ampuls.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a fixed camming and holding device which will quickly advance the stem end portion only of each ampul relative to its propelling means into a position of registry with the gas injecting nozzle and releasably hold the stem end in such position until said propelling means against engages the stem end of the ampul and removes it from the holding influence of the cam device.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view diagrammatically showing the invention incorporated in a conveyor system interposed between a conventional forming machine and an "annealing lehr.

-Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary plan view of that partravel of the conveyor.

17 is positioned between the conveyor chains 14 and is 2,843,958 Patented July 22, 1958 Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but shows the stem portion of the treated ampul removed from the holding device and :a second ampul about to be moved into register with the injector.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, it is shown in conjunction with a conveyor 10 which transfers ampuls A from a forming machine 11 to an annealing lehr 12, the ampuls occupying recumbent positions and with their open stem ends all facing in the same direction. By reason of this positioning of the ampuls A, the open ends of these stem portions are brought in succession to a gas injecting station G for momentary registration of a gas injector 13.

The conveyor 10 preferably comprises a pair of parallel horizontally spaced finger chains 14 which in at least those areas in and at each side of the gas injecting station G are inclined upwardly and mounted upon suitable frame members 15. of fingers 16 which are spaced apart at uniform distances. These fingers are so placed upon the chains that they releasably hold the ampuls with their axes normally disposed substantially at right angles to the direction of A conventional Morse chain ice driven by means (not shown) so that it travels in the opposite direction to that of the conveyor chains 14 and in contact with the body portion of the ampuls with the result that these ampuls are rotated about their individual axes in a clockwise direction. This, as will be apparent hereinafter, facilitates removal of the ampuls from the gas injecting station G.

As has been pointed out heretofore the prime purpose of the present invention is to prolong the period of alignment of the ampuls with the gas injector 13 to the maximum degree practicable without interrupting the normal and necessarily rapid movement of the ampuls to the annealing'lehr. To this end the device comprises a generally inverted V-shape cam 18 and stop 19 formed as a unit and attached to that frame member 15 nearest the gas injector 13. This unit as shown is a flat metal;

sheet extending insubstantial parallelism with the path wardly and forwardly to the stop 19 which is in the form of a notch positioned directly opposite the axis of the injector 13. The surfaces 20 and 21 are connected at the apex by a short curved section 22, or radius. The stop 19, at that side opposite the declined cam section 21 is connected to a downwardly and forwardly curved track 23, the lower exit end of which is substantially in the plane of travel of the ampul supporting surfaces of the conveyor chains 14. An air nozzle 24 may be positioned over the cam 18 in .a position to direct a stream of air under pressure downwardly toward the stop 19 and adjacent declined cam surface 21 for the purpose of accelerating movement of the stems of the successive ampuls into engagement with said stop 19, as will be explained presently.

In operation, the conveyor chain fingers advance the ampuls with the latter occupying recumbent positions, so that they are brought into succession to the gas injecting station E. The fingers push the ampul neck portions upwardly along the inclined surface 20 of the cam and at this point the position of the ampul on the conveyor has changed only to the extent that the stem end is resting upon the curved section 22 instead of upon one of the chains. Immediately upon reaching the high point of this curved section (Fig. 4) the stem portion quickly moves down the declined section 21 to a position in the notch-like stop 19. Travel down this declined section 21 at an accelerated speed results from the combined forces Each of these chains carries a series dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings;

Thus, the period of injection of gas into the ampul extends from the time of initial registration of the stem and injector until a short interval of time following that at which time the baseportion of the ampul has in effect caughtup position-wise? with the stem. By reason of this operation it is possible'to completely andeifectively' treat the interior surfaces of the articles without any interruption whatsoever in their normal rapid movement to the annealed lehI.

Modifications may be resorted to within'the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1; In combination a conveyor including an upwardly inclined straight section, said conveyor comprising a frame, a pair of continuously moving parallel horizontally spaced finger chains mounted on the frame for carrying.

glass-ampuls in recumbent positions: past a gas injecting station, said gas injecting station being located in the inclined straight section of the conveyor and the'ampuls having'open stem ends facing in the same: direction with their axes normally at right angles to the path of travel of the chains, a stationary gas injector at said station positioned to direct gas generally horizontally into the open stem end of each ampul as it arrives. at said station andmeans for accelerating the advancing movement of the stem end only of each ampul as it :approaches'the gas-1 injecting station to thereby bring the open stem end into register'with the injector prior" to arrival of the body portion of the ampul at a position opposite the injector and hold the stem against further forward movement until thez ampul body is directly opposite said: injector;

2. The combination defined. in claim 1 in whichthe last: named means is a substantially inverted V-shape cam plate lying in a vertical plane parallel to the conveyor'chains with the apex portion projecting upwardly,

a. stop associated with the cam and fingers on the conveyor for moving the stem ends of the ampuls to the apex of the cam and releasing the stem'end-s for gravity delivery to the stop.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, the last named means comprising a stop lying between the :gas injector and the adjacent conveyor chain, a stationary generally inverted V-sha-pe cam plate positioned in advance of said stop and engageable with the stem portions of the ampuls, said cam providing an upwardly inclined surface and a declined surface leading-to the stop and fingers on the conveyor for moving the stem ends upwardly along the inclined surface and releasing them for rolling movement downthe declined surface to said stop.

4. Thecombination defined in claim 1, the lastz named means comprising a stop lying between the gasinjector 1 and the adjacent conveyor chain, a stationary generally inverted V-sh'ape cam plate positioned" in advance of said stop and engageable with the stem portions of the ampuls, said cam providing an upwardly inclined surface and a declined surface leading tothe stop, fingers on the conveyor for moving the stem ends upwardly along-the inclined surface and releasing them for rolling movement down the declined surface to said stop, and means for positively accelerating movement of the stem: portions down the inclined surface to said stopr.

5. The combination defined in claim 1, the lastnarned': means comprising a stop lying between the gas injector and the adjacent conveyor chain,- a stationary generally inverted V-shape cam plate positioned in advance-ai said stop and engageable with the stem'portions of the": ampuls, said camproviding' an upwardly inclined surface" and a declined surfaceleading to the stop, fingers-entire" conveyor for moving the stern ends upwa-ndly alongflthefi inclined surface and releasing them for rolling movement' down the declined surface to said stop, and means 1 for accelerating movement of the stein: portions down the inclined surface to said stop comprising an' air-nozzle for directing a streamof air under pressure againstdhei' stem portions as they begin their downward travel t the stop.

References Cited in the, file of this patent Great Britain Jan; 23, 1941-- 

